Here’s how these previews work: I look at all the books. I pick 10 that jump out to me. I share them with you. Here we go – this batch will all arrive in September, October, and November. Picture Books A Well-Mannered Young Wolf by Jean Leroy, illustrated by Matthieu Maudet October 3, 2016 | Eerdmans […]

#20-16 | #15-11 | #10-6 | #5-1 15. Shh! We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton [Candlewick Press | Grades PreK-1] Click here for additional resources from Watch. Connect. Read. With its combination of suspense and broad humor, Shh! We Have a Plan plays like the best Chuck Jones Merrie Melodies cartoon that never happened. You can practically […]

Baby Bear By Kadir Nelson Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins) ISBN: 9780062241726 $17.99 Grades PreK-1 In Stores Find it at: Schuler Books | Your Library Man, are there a lot of bedtime books out there. With reading to children being such a pre-sleep ritual, however, this proliferation of books dedicated to sawing logs makes sense. In […]

It’s time to once again to look at the season before us and say “that looks good”. What follows are books coming out in March, April, and May that appear to have promise. Picture Book Giant Dance Party by Betsy Bird; illustrated by Brandon Dorman April 23 | Greenwillow | Grades K-2 Ever heard of […]

Sometimes you see a book and go… What follows are the books coming out in December, January, and February that made me do that. Picture Books Doug Unplugged by Dan Yaccarino February 12 | Knopf | Grades K-3 Is ditching technology for real life an emerging children’s lit trend? 2012 standout hello! hello! nicely builds […]

The One and Only Ivan By Katherine Applegate HarperCollins ISBN: 9780061992254 $16.99 Grades 4-6 In Stores *Best New Book* Find it at: Schuler Books | Your Library For a children’s book, inhabiting the world of animals can be a dicey proposition. While the appeal is broad, it seems like the rate of true success is […]

The Easter Bunny’s Assistant By Jan Thomas Harper (HarperCollins) ISBN: 9780061692864 $12.99 Grades PreK-2 In Stores *Best New Book* Find it at: Schuler Books | Your Library In terms of consistency, few picture book creators in the world are operating at the level of Jan Thomas right now. Since her debut in 2007, What Will […]

Fellow school librarian John Schumacher and I are counting down our top 20 books of 2011. Head on over to Watch. Connect. Read. for additional resources for each book. #20-16 | #15-11 | #10-6 | #5-1 10. Marty McGuire by Kate Messner [Scholastic | Grades 3-5] Click here for additional resources from Watch. Connect. Read. […]

Let the singing of praises commence. Over four days, fellow school librarian John Schumacher and I will count down our top 20 books of the past year. It’s a K-6, anything goes sort of list, with picture books, chapter books, nonfiction, and graphic novels all tossed into one big pot. This year Watch. Connect. Read. […]

Catalogs pored over, eyes sufficiently sapped of all moisture – it must be time to look at the 10 books that come out in September, October, and November that have me going around saying “aww, yeah!” to strangers. Or maybe just thinking it. While I search for the ViseneÂ®, take a look at the list. […]

A Pet for Petunia By Paul Schmid Harper (HarperCollins) ISBN: 9780061963315 $12.99 Grades K-2 In Stores *Best New Books* Playing opposites is a common occurrence in children’s literature. Little Pea, Bedtime for Mommy, and Children Make Terrible Pets are but a few recent examples of a concept with a long history. The act of reversing […]

About 100 Scope Notes

Children's literature news, reviews and assorted school librarian oddities. Combine one part kid's books, one part school librarianship, a splash of absurdity and you get 100 Scope Notes.

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com. He's also on...